1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of material handling, and is concerned in particular with an apparatus which has the capability of bundling product lengths having round cross-sectional profiles, such as steel bars, rods, pipes, etc., and which also has the capability of stacking product lengths having shaped flat-sided cross-sectional profiles such as flats, angles, channels and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous arrangement have developed specifically for handling and/or bundling products with round cross-sectional profiles (commonly referred to as "rounds"). Examples of these arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,596,862 (Mirfield); 2,905,340 (Clark et al); 3,045,846 (Clark); 3,055,515 (Harbkersman); 3,127,829 (Rossi); 3,427,958 (Glasson); 3,427,959 (Keil); 3,497,084 (Murrak); 2,352,623 (Gaumer); 3,837,465 (Klusmier); 3,871,533 (Mulcahy et al); 3,950,920 (Thomsen et al); 3,956,982 (Hill et al); 4,003,189 (Little et al); 4,120,406 (Durnig) and 4,174,662 (Klusmier). However, such arrangements do not have the capability of also handling product lengths with shaped flat-sided cross-sectional profiles (commonly referred to a "shapes"). Shapes are handled by different types of equipment, examples of which are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,559,460 (Peterson); 3,347,397 (Hein); 3,422,968 (Martin); 3,452,884 (Tangueray); 3,627,099 (Shaffer); 3,749,256 (Hill); 3,880,273 (Kaplan); 3,920,132 (Cleland et al); 3,957,163 (Tanzler); 4,109,801 (Uchide et al); 4,278,377 (Elineau); and German Aus. 1183020 (Tanzler).
If a mill is producing only one type of product, i.e., either shapes or rounds, then only one type of conventional product handling equipment need be installed. However, many mills are designed to produce both rounds and shapes, thus necessitating the installation of two separate product handling systems, one for each type of product. Such systems occupy large mill areas, and they are also costly to install and expensive to operate and maintain.